This invention relates generally to hand tools, and more particularly concerns a one piece formed casing for use as a housing for the operative components of the tool.
A great variety of hand tools are available in the prior art, and a certain segment of these tools are designed to function under a pressurized fluid, such as air. Most of these tools have mainly been designed from the standpoint of their efficiency of operation in providing actuation of their internal components, such as a rotor or other form of air motor structure, and have given lesser concern to the convenience of the user of the tool. For example, most if not all of the hand grinders that operate from pressurized air have the pressurized air entering into the housing of the tool through its rearward end, and as a matter of design convenience, simply has the air traversing directly through the air motor to attain its actuation and then exhaustment from the front of the same housing. While such is convenient and efficient for attaining an actuation of the encased air motor, the convenience of the tool user has not been fully anticipated. For example, exhausting air, which still contains some fluid pressure while dissipating from the tool housing has a tendency to cause turbulence of the grit and dust that is abrasively worn from the grinding wheel or the part upon which grinding is being done, thereby causing its entrance into the air. As a result, the blowing into the air of such dust and other grit frequently enters into the eyes, mouth, and other senses of the worker not only to cause his inconvenience, but frequently, injurious irritations.
In other hand tool embodiments where a housing is formed around a fluid actuated motor, the housing is generally constructed in sections, and after repeated usage has a tendency to weaken in structure and cause leakage of air that can significantly reduce the efficiency of operation of such a tool. Also, in those instances where thought has been given to attempting to divert the exhausting air to the side, or at least away from the area of work performance, a small insert has been used for application within the exhaust port, and thereby attempt to divert some of the exhaust laterally of the tool. Where such inserts have been used, they have generally proved rather ineffective over the prolonged useful life of the hand tool involved.
Other types of prior art forms of pressurized fluid motors, pumps, or tools are shown in the earlier U.S. Pat. to Darlington, No. 1,225,224, and the U.S. Pat. to Albertson, No. 3,676,013.
In view of the foregoing, it is the principal object of this invention to provide a molded casing having integral and rearwardly extending exhaust conduit for forming the unitized housing for a hand tool that fully attains exhausting of any spent gases or fluids away from the area of work.
Another object of this invention is to provide a unitized casing for hermetically sealing the operating components, or motor, into a pressurized air actuated hand tool.
A further object of this invention is to provide a hand tool having an integrally formed casing that exhausts its spent air away from the work area.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a hand tool having guard means that serves to protect the hand of the user while doubling as a means for suspending the tool during non usage.
Yet another object of this invention is the provision of conveniently located passages and cavities within a unitized casing for hand tool that enhances the delivery of pressurized air to its motor and thereby significantly increases the efficiency of its operations.
Still another object of this invention is the provision of a one piece casing that can be molded as an integral item thereby greatly reducing the time and effort required for mass assembly of the tool for marketing.
A further object of this invention is the provision of a unitized casing for a hand tool that may be conveniently molded from materials such as a plastic, in a very simple and fascile manner, requiring a minimum of skilled labor in its production.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of the preferred embodiment in view of its drawings.